Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Upon reading the two articles that were assigned, I came to the conclusion that the gay marriage issue is primarily about the legal rights of same-sex couples. I support the gay community in this fight for two main reasons.
The first of these reasons lies in my personal beliefs. I sincerely believe that two people can be in love with one another, regardless of gender. Because of this, I support a gay couple's right to marry and start a family just as much as I would for a straight couple.
The second reason is due largely in part to my political beliefs. I believe that church and state should be separate, and thus the government should not have a say in regards to someone's personal choice regarding who to marry. On top of this, I believe that gay couples should be allowed/made to pay the same taxes as straight married couples.

Monday, September 5, 2011

In the reading for this week, we read an essay discussing the factors which are affecting the destruction of the family. Two arguments are presented, the conservative which states that abortion, illegitimacy, and homosexuality are the crucial points in the destruction of the American family, and the liberal theory, which points to domestic abuse, economic insecurity, and inadequate public support.
The liberal approach holds significantly more weight than the conservative. Although the detrimental effects of abortion and illegitimacy are clear to see, they do not destroy families so much as they destroy individuals. Homosexuality certainly has no effect on this, as can be seen in the many happy, same-sex parent families around the nation. Domestic abuse tears families apart, as it tears directly at the fabric of trust which holds a marriage together. Economic insecurity can bring stress on a family, which can help wear it down. Finally, adequate public support is in place, which means that both of these theories are flawed, but the liberal approach can be seen as more valid than the conservative approach.